Unai Emery praises Atalanta and Gasperini's influence on his Aston Villa
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has offered significant praise for Atalanta and the Italian footballing culture, highlighting their influence on his own work. The comments came after his team's victory over Bologna in the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final. Emery was particularly effusive about the work of Gian Piero Gasperini at Atalanta, a club that has become synonymous with an intense, attacking style of football.
Emery, whose side won 2-1 in Italy, took a moment to defend the health of Italian football and single out Atalanta's recent success. "I have learned a lot from your immense tactical culture," Emery said, as reported by Sky Sport Italia. He specifically mentioned "the evolution of the 3-5-2 and the tactical dictates taken to the extreme by Gian Piero Gasperini in Bergamo." Emery also pointed to the recent European successes of Italian clubs, including Atalanta's 2022 Europa League triumph, as evidence of the league's strength, countering any narrative of its decline.
His admiration for Gasperini's work at Atalanta is well-documented and appears to have influenced his own tactical thinking. Emery's Aston Villa, currently competing for a top-four finish in the Premier League, have adopted a high-pressing, intense style that shares some philosophical similarities with Gasperini's high-octane, man-marking system. The Spanish coach's comments suggest a deep respect for the tactical school of thought in Italy, which he has clearly studied and incorporated into his own methods.
The context of the praise is significant, coming on the eve of the return leg of Villa's European tie against Bologna, a club that itself has been revitalized under Thiago Motta. Emery was quick to praise Bologna's coach, Thiago Motta, and warned his own team to be wary of a comeback, despite their first-leg advantage. He acknowledged Bologna's dominance in the first half of the initial leg, a performance he will be keen to avoid repeating at Villa Park. Emery's analysis suggests a manager who is constantly learning and adapting, with Atalanta's model under Gasperini serving as a key point of reference in his own tactical development and his scouting of opponents.
